Fastest Pickaxes in Terraria: Discover the Best Tools for Mining Speed

Fastest Pickaxes in Terraria Unearthing Secrets: Your Definitive Guide to the Fastest Pickaxes in Terraria

Welcome to the 2D world of Terraria. This realm offers adventure, monsters, and a lot of digging. Let’s be honest. If you’re not digging, you’re planning to dig or recovering from digging. If you’re going to dig, you want it to be fast. Imagine working at lightning speed. Fear not, Terrarians. We’re here to unearth secrets for peak mining efficiency.

I. The Speed Demons: Fastest Pickaxes in Terraria

Let’s get to it. The best mining speed belongs to one pickaxe: the Shroomite Digging Claw. This is not a rusty tool in a dusty chest. This is from Hardmode, post-Plantera. Think of it as a Formula 1 car of pickaxes. It is sleek and built for speed.

A. Shroomite Digging Claw: The Undisputed Champion

Craft it from Shroomite Bars. Those are made from Glowing Mushrooms and Chlorophyte Ore. The Shroomite Digging Claw is a beautiful tool. It works as both a top-tier pickaxe and axe. With a 200% pickaxe power, it tackles most ores after Plantera. Its speed is its real strength.

This claw is a mining machine. It hits 15 times per second from the start. Fifteen hits per second. Imagine a woodpecker on steroids. That’s the claw’s speed. And with the right modifier, it can get even crazier.

The Shroomite Digging Claw can chew through almost any block. The only exception is Lihzahrd Bricks found in the Jungle Temple. By the time you’re using this claw, such blocks are just a minor inconvenience.

B. Modifiers: Injecting Speed into Your Pickaxe

Now, let’s discuss modifiers. They can turn a fast pickaxe into a ludicrously fast one. Just like cars, you can enhance your pickaxes for speed. Two modifiers stand out: Light and Legendary.

The Light modifier offers a speed boost without great cost. Reforge your Shroomite Digging Claw to “Light”. It noticeably speeds up mining. It’s like giving your pickaxe a shot of espresso.

If you seek maximum speed, aim for the Legendary modifier. This is the best of speed enhancements. With it, the Shroomite Digging Claw reaches 20 hits per second. At that point, it’s like teleporting through earth. Even speedy pickaxes benefit from it.

Focus on modifiers that boost speed. Other modifiers may increase damage or knockback but are less relevant for mining. “Light” and “Legendary” are vital for digging quickly. Speed is everything in mining.

There’s also the Quick modifier. This enhances speed too. While “Light” and “Legendary” are usually better for pickaxes, “Quick” can apply to axes, hammers, and hamaxes. Experiment to find what suits your playstyle.

C. The Pickaxe Pantheon: Other Notable Mining Tools

While the Shroomite Digging Claw is fastest, Terraria has many pickaxes with unique strengths. Here’s a quick look at some contenders:

The Chlorophyte Pickaxe and Adamantite/Titanium Pickaxes are solid choices in mid-game. They have 200% pickaxe power. You can mine Chlorophyte Ore and other treasures easily. They balance power and speed well for Hardmode progress.

The Pickaxe Axe combines a pickaxe and axe. It also has 200% pickaxe power and decent speed. This makes it versatile. It works great for many tasks.

If you want more oomph, consider the Picksaw. It has 210% pickaxe power and can mine tough blocks quickly. It is effective for resistant ores and materials.

The Luminite Pickaxe, made from Luminite Bars after defeating the Moon Lord, is for endgame use. It offers high power, great speed, and long reach. Both Picksaw and Luminite Pickaxe are excellent for various mining tasks.

Interestingly, the Shroomite Digging Claw excels in obsidian generators. Its speed is crucial for quickly mining obsidian as it forms. Obsidian generators farm by rapidly cooling water with lava. Fast mining is key to keep up.

D. Drills vs. Pickaxes: Mechanical Mayhem

Drills and chainsaws are mechanical options in Terraria. In past versions, they were often seen as inferior to pickaxes. However, recent updates changed that perception.

Now, drills and chainsaws mine faster than pickaxes with equal power. But there is a trade-off: shorter range compared to pickaxes. You must be closer to blocks when using them.

Though drills and chainsaws are generally faster, optimized setups may perform better with pickaxes. If fully optimizing your mining loadout for speed, a pickaxe could still outperform a drill.

However, if using a sub-optimal loadout or enjoying the mechanical feel, drills and chainsaws will be faster in many cases. It comes down to choosing between range versus raw speed.

E. Mining Speed: Unleashing Your Inner Mole

The Shroomite Digging Claw is inherently fast, and modifiers further increase its speed. However, speed can go even higher. Terraria offers numerous buffs and items that amplify your mining velocity.

Let’s break down some items that enhance speed:

• Reforging (Light/Quick/Legendary Modifiers): These are critical for boosting your pickaxe’s speed directly.
• Mining Potion: Made from Bottled Water, Antlion Mandibles, and Blinkroot, it grants a 25% increase in mining speed.
• Celestial Stone/Celestial Shell: These accessories boost mining speed by 15% each. Wearing both gives a 30% boost.
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• Mining Armor Set Bonus: Wearing a complete Mining Armor set (Helmet, Shirt, Pants) gives a 30% speed bonus. This set does not provide much defense. However, the speed boost is crucial for serious mining adventures.
• Slice of Cake: This item is made from Cake Batter and Sugar. It offers a 20% mining speed boost when consumed. The effect is temporary but easy to craft, ideal for swift mining sessions.
• Exquisitely Stuffed Buff (Food): Any “Exquisitely Stuffed” food offers a 15% mining speed boost, plus other stat enhancements. Such food usually comes from advanced cooking recipes. It balances mining speed with general stats.
• Ancient Chisel/Hand of Creation: These accessories boost mining speed. Players find Ancient Chisel in Underground Desert chests. The Hand of Creation is crafted from various items. Both enhance miners’ performance significantly.
• Shimmer & Ambrosia (Throwing Fruit/Eating Ambrosia): A lesser-known method: throw fruit into Shimmer, then eat Ambrosia for a 5% boost. This technique is niche but interesting for speed miners seeking an edge.

Understanding how speed modifiers work is crucial. They affect the “usetime” of pickaxes, which is the internal game parameter determining how fast a pickaxe swings. Reducing usetime equals quicker swings and faster mining. These buffs stack multiplicatively, leading to impressive mining speeds.

For max pickaxe speed: combine a Shroomite Digging Claw, Legendary modifier, Mining Potion, Mining Armor set, Celestial Stone/Shell, and food buffs. Witness blocks disappear rapidly.

F. Fastest Pre-Hardmode Pickaxe: Early Game Excellence

Shroomite Digging Claw shines in Hardmode, but what’s the best pickaxe in early game? What’s the fastest one before entering Hardmode’s dangers?

The answer lies in the simple Bone Pickaxe. Made from skeletons’ bones, it’s unexpectedly fast for its tier. It significantly outpaces the Copper Pickaxe and is helpful during early Terrarian adventures. While it may not break speed records like Hardmode options, it is the quickest pre-Hardmode pickaxe, easing your initial mining chores.

G. Pickaxe Power: Breaking Barriers

Mining speed isn’t the only factor; pickaxe power matters too. Pickaxe power determines which ores and blocks a pickaxe can mine. Ores like Chlorophyte require specific power levels to mine. Fortunately, many faster pickaxes also have enough power to handle most common ores.

Terraria Wiki on Pickaxe Power for a full list of powers and ore demands.

H. tModLoader Legacy: Unleashing the Laser Drill

Players exploring tModLoader Legacy find a powerful tool: the Laser Drill. This modded pickaxe enhances mining power.

With the Laser Drill, tModLoader Legacy players reach an impressive 230% pickaxe power. This level surpasses all vanilla options, allowing miners to extract mod-added ores or blocks requiring greater power. If you explore Terraria mods, consider the Laser Drill for supreme mining ability.

II. Factors Affecting Mining Speed: The Deeper Dive

We’ve covered factors that influence mining speed. Now let’s explore the core elements dictating how swiftly you can clear blocks.

A. Modifiers: Fine-Tuning Performance

Modifiers are essential for speed. The Light, Quick, and Legendary modifiers change the usetime of your pickaxe. This change results in faster swings and enhanced mining speed. Reforging for these advantages boosts efficiency drastically.

While “Legendary” is the top speed modifier, “Light” is easier to find and still effective. “Quick” can work well for tools other than pickaxes too. It’s wise to experiment and find the balance between cost and performance that fits your style.

B. Buffs and Items: External Speed Boosts

External buffs and items enhance speed further beyond modifiers. The Mining Potion, Celestial Stone/Shell, and Mining Armor set bonus are crucial. These effects combine, creating remarkable mining speed.

By mixing these items with buffs, you can exceed your pickaxe’s basic capabilities. Stacking percentage bonuses leads to superior mining performance. Look back to section I.E for the specific boosts each buff provides.

C. Equipment: The Right Tool for the Job

Your pickaxe is vital. The Shroomite Digging Claw is the top choice due to its speed and decent power. Choosing a suitable pickaxe for your game stage is critical too. A Bone Pickaxe in pre-Hardmode, switching to Chlorophyte or Adamantite in early Hardmode, and aiming for Shroomite Digging Claw or Luminite Pickaxe later exemplifies sensible progression.

D. Game Mechanics: Time and Perception

Time mechanics in Terraria are worth noting. One real-world second equals one minute of game time. One in-game hour thus passes in real life every minute. This ratio affects various game aspects, though not directly tied to mining speed. Yet understanding time can aid in planning mining sessions and buff timing.

III. Optimizing Mining in Terraria: Pro Techniques

The secret to becoming an efficient miner lies beyond using a quick pickaxe. There are tactics you can use to optimize our mining efforts.

A. Mining Techniques: Smart Digging

Auto-Mining (PC): PC users can access “auto-mining” easily. Pressing “Ctrl” and then “Tab” toggles this feature. While in auto-mode, hold down the mouse button and move with WASD. Your pickaxe mines blocks automatically as you traverse. It enhances efficiency for large projects.

Dynamite and Bombs: Explosives like Dynamite and Bombs work well for rapid clearing. They can demolish large areas quickly, saving swing time. Yet be cautious: they destroy valuable ores along with other blocks. Use them carefully, especially where resources may lie. For resource-scarce areas, explosives save time.

B. Loadouts: Mining Gear Synergy

An optimized loadout enhances speed while using pickaxes and axes together. A full loadout includes: a Shroomite Digging Claw (or other fast pickaxe) with Legendary modifier, Mining Armor set, Celestial Stone/Shell, Mining Potion, and a Slice of Cake or Exquisitely Stuffed food buff.

This combination creates synergy; each element boosts the others, leading to speeds surpassing any single item’s effect. Try different mixes to find the best loadout for your preferences. Consider swapping buffs depending on the mining task.

IV. Related Tools and Equipment: Expanding Your Arsenal

While we’ve focused heavily on pickaxes, it’s important to mention other tools aiding your mining efforts.

A. Picksaw and Luminite Pickaxe: Versatile Powerhouses

The Picksaw and Luminite Pickaxe, as mentioned earlier, are exceptional

Mining tools offer pickaxe power, mining speed, and reach. They can mine many blocks and work well for general tasks. They pair well with the Shroomite Digging Claw. This claw shines for obsidian generators due to its speed. A mix of tools may work best for various mining needs.

C. Chlorophyte and Adamantite/Titanium Pickaxes: Mid-Game Mainstays

Players in mid-Hardmode should use the Chlorophyte Pickaxe or Adamantite/Titanium Pickaxes. They balance power and speed for mid-Hardmode ores. These pickaxes serve well for mining and exploration during this stage of the game.

V. Rarest Pickaxes (Fortnite): A Brief Detour

Now, a quick diversion into another gaming world. This section covers rare pickaxes… in Fortnite. It may seem odd in a Terraria guide, but worth a mention for completeness. The term “pickaxe” appears across various games, and rarity matters even in Fortnite.

Some rare pickaxes in Fortnite include:

• Frozen Axe: A frozen version of the Crimson Axe from Chapter 1 challenges.
• Velocity Edge: For players who logged into Fortnite on Amazon Luna in July 2023.
• Destroyer: Players on GeForce Now got this pickaxe during July/August 2022.
• Original Axe of Champions: Given to FNCS first-place players.
• Double Helix: Bundled with a limited Nintendo Switch.
• Skellyfish: For Fortnite Crew subscribers in Chapter 2 Season 6.
• Resonator: Bundled with a limited edition Xbox One S.
• Pointer and Power Grip: Exclusive to players in China before Fortnite’s 2021 ban.
• Merry Mint Axe (Minty Axe): Once available through GameStop, not obtainable now.

These Fortnite pickaxes are rare due to limited-time access or promotions. This rarity makes them appealing to collectors in Fortnite. While interesting, these picks are separate from Terraria and are irrelevant to mining efficiency.

VI. Miscellaneous Terraria Tidbits

Now, let’s close with a few useful Terraria facts.

A. Time in Terraria: A Quick Recap

In-game time is straightforward. One minute of game time equals one second in real life. One hour is one minute. A full day (24 hours) is 24 real minutes, or half an hour. Remember this clock when planning events or timing buffs.

B. Health: Super Healing Power

The Super Healing Potion is powerful. It restores 200 health points. This potion proves valuable during tough boss fights or exploration. You craft it from lesser healing potions and Crystal Shards, making it a key upgrade in healing.

C. Mana: Magical Capacity

Mana serves as the energy source for spells in Terraria. You can increase your base mana using Mana Crystals from Fallen Stars. Various armor and accessories also boost this capacity. Mages should invest in mana-enhancing gear for better spellcasting.

Now you have a complete guide to fast mining and top pickaxes in Terraria! Equip yourself with knowledge, grab your Shroomite Digging Claw, or Bone Pickaxe if starting. Get ready to dig like never before. Happy mining, Terrarians!

For more insights, check out these resources:

• Terraria Wiki – Ores: Learn about different ore types in Terraria.
• Terraria Wiki – Pickaxe Power: Understand pickaxe power’s importance in mining.
• ScalaCube – What are Terraria’s Best Pickaxes?: Find additional views on the best pickaxes.